Fort Buford

Fort Buford Plan, 1874

Fort Buford (1866-1895) - Construction began on Fort Buford on 15 Jun 1866 by soldiers under the command of Bvt. Lt. Col. William G. Rankin in the Dakota Territory near present day Williston, North Dakota. The Fort was named after Maj. Gen. John F. Buford, hero of Gettysburg, who died from typhoid fever in 1863. Initially the fort consisted of a 360-foot-square stockade, with log and adobe buildings. It was constructed as a single company garrison to protect immigrant travel routes.

The fort was expanded in 1867 to house a total of 5 companies. The expanded fort was 999 feet by 600 feet and was enclosed on three sides by a twelve-foot stockade. Faulty construction necessitated a third construction phase and the fort was expanded to house 6 companies.

The Sioux Wars of 1876-1879 resulted in Custer's defeat at the Little Bighorn and Sitting Bull's flight into Canada. Sitting Bull return to Dakota Territory in 1881 and traveled to Fort Buford where he surrendered on 20 Jul 1881 to Major D.H. Brotherton, Fort Buford's commander.

After Sitting Bull's surrender, Fort Buford protected survey and construction crews of the Great Northern Railway and policed the area against outlaws and wayward indians. It was abandoned on 1 Oct 1895.

Current Status

The North Dakota State Historical Society runs Fort Buford State Historical Site. Three original buildings still stand at the site: the stone powder magazine, wood-frame officers' quarters, and a wood-frame officer of the guard building.

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Location: 15349 39th Ln. NW, Williston, ND 58801 Maps & Images Lat: 47.987294 Long: -104.000123 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 1900'

Links:

• Fort Buford State Historical Site
• Wikipedia

Publications:

Sources:

• Field, Ron, Forts of the American Frontier 1820-91: Central and Northern Plains, Osprey Publishing, Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9LP, United Kingdom, 2005, ISBN: 1 84176 775 1

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